True Excelsior chasing Randwick stakes win

Melbourne filly True Excelsior will head north for the opening day of The Championships to chase a stakes race success at her first Sydney appearance.

The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained three-year-old filly has twice been placed in Group Three races in Melbourne and gets her latest chance at that level in Saturday’s P J Bell Stakes (1200m) against her own age and sex at Randwick.

True Excelsior is coming off a last-start win and is scheduled to travel to Sydney on Thursday night.

The filly won a 1200m-race for three-year-olds at Moonee Valley on March 23, her second win from 11 starts.

Three starts ago True Excelsior was second in the Group Three Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) while her other stakes placing was in the Scarborough Stakes at Moonee Valley last spring.

“I’m very pleased with her,” Troy Corstens said.

“We’ve been lucky enough to give her three gallops the Sydney way at Geelong on the course proper and she has handled those really well.

“I can’t wait to see her get up there and see what she can do.”

Stephen Baster, who rode the filly to victory last start, retains the ride at Randwick.

The field of 18 includes last year’s Group One Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy who is coming off a last-start third at weight-for-age in the Group One William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Catchy was at $7 on Wednesday with Demerara the $3.30 favourite while True Excelsior was at $15.